The Family Nurturing Centre – Supporting parenting in Australia for over 20 years, providing resources, information, classes, workshops and community events for new families that are in the context of Mindfulness-Based Attachment Parenting.

Prenatal and Perinatal Development / Very Early Parenting

Books

David Chamberlain, The Mind of Your Newborn Baby (Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic, 1998). Fascinating stories & research by a pioneer.

Thomas Verny and John Kelly, The Secret Life of the Unborn Child (New York: Delta, 1982). The first book on this topic ~ a classic.

Laura Archera Huxley and Piero Ferruci, The Child of Your Dreams(Rochester, VT: Destiny Books, 1992). I have often said if I could give young couples just one book that distills the essence of many important principles of the science and spirit of parenting—and does it with exquisite beauty—this would be it.

Web

Birth Psychology – Official site of APPPAH (Assn. of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology & Health), the headquarters for exploring the mental and emotional dimensions of pregnancy and birth in everything from scholarly articles to personal stories and late-breaking headlines. (Dr. Axness is editor of the Adoption Column here.)

Wonders of the Womb – A site where joy matters and the power of expectant mothers is celebrated. The physical and mental health of an adult is deeply rooted in his or her womb life, thus the wellbeing of nations is linked to prenatal life. The way we are treated in the womb has a profound influence on the way we treat ourselves, each other and our larger house, the Earth.

Center for Prenatal Music – Assists mothers, teenagers and couples in realizing their journey through pregnancy and birth in a holistic and supportive environment, as well as offering educational resources.

Healthy Child Healthy World – Important information, guidelines and action steps about preventable health and development problems caused by prenatal and childhood exposure to toxic substances in homes, schools and communities.

ADD/ADHD, Learning Disorders & Brain Development

Books

Gabor Maté, Scattered: How Attention Deficit Disorder Originates and What You Can Do About It(New York: Penguin, 1999).

Daniel J. Siegel and Mary Hartzell, Parenting From the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive(New York: Jeremy Tarcher/Putnam, 2003).

Daniel J. Siegel, The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are (New York: Guildord Press, 2002).

Web

Prevention and Healing — Excellent information on a holistic approach to ADD, ADHD and other neuro-regulatory disorders.

The Hallowell Center – founded by psychiatrist Ned Hallowell, author of the bestselling book on ADD/ADHD, Driven to Distraction; promotes an integrated mind/body/heart approach; great collection of links and some good information about recognizing and living with ADD/ADHD.

Judith Viorst, Necessary Losses: The Loves, Illusions, Dependencies and Impossible Expectations That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Grow (New York: Ballantine, 1986). One of my all-time favorites!

Web

The Foundation for Human Enrichment – This non-profit educational and research organization, dedicated to the worldwide healing and prevention of trauma, has excellent articles on trauma and healing in the “Resources” section of their website. I often refer people to their excellent practitioner directory, for healing professionals who have been trained in Somatic Experiencing®.

Healing Resources – Leading-edge research & information about psychological or emotional trauma, and trauma rooted in early life and relationship problems.

Child Trauma Academy – Non-profit educational organization founded by one of the world’s leading experts, Dr. Bruce Perry, to help improve the lives of traumatized and maltreated children and their families; extensive excellent information.

Adoption

Books

Robert Anderson, Second Choice: Growing Up Adopted(Chesterfield, MO: Badger Hill Press, 1992). Authored by an adoptee who’s also a psychiatrist, this is a beautifully written exploration of the experience of the male adoptee.

Michel Odent, Birth Reborn (Medord, NJ: BirthWorks Press, 1994). Dr. Odent is best-known for pioneering water-birth; this is one of the most exquisite and important books on conscious, natural childbirth.

Claudia Panuthos, Transformation Through Birth (Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey, 1984). This was my personal favorite of all the books I read during my first pregnancy!

Neil Postman, The Disappearance of Childhood (New York: Vintage Books, 1994). This book literally changed the way I think about most things! Eloquent, beautifully written, and sobering to the max.

Web

Child Honouring – Founded by beloved “children’s troubadour” Raffi Cavoukian, Child Honouring is a vision, an organizing principle, and a way of life… a revolution in values that calls for a profound redesign of every sphere of society.

Birthing the Future – Author, photojournalist, visionary and activist, Suzanne Arms founded this non-profit to “gather, synthesize, and disseminate the finest world wisdom that inspires people about the significance of birthing in each of our lives.”

Birthworks – Promotes safe and loving birth experiences through education, introspection and confident action. This site includes Dr. Michel Odent’s important Primal Health Research Database.

Robbie Davis-Floyd – A wealth of material from this cultural anthropologist whose focus is pregnancy, birth and our cultural embrace of technology; on such fresh, fascinating topics as standardized hospital birth as an American cultural rite of passage.

The Odysseus Group: Challenging the Myths of Modern Schooling – Begin your read of this astonishing site at this page, a clever and enlightening “history tour” of modern education; then proceed to “Underground History of American Education.” Site principal John Taylor Gatto’s biography, and authority for making the charges he makes, are stellar.

Wholesome Guidance for Healthy Families

Web

Wellness Mama (“Simple answers for healthier families”) – Easy, friendly recipes for wholesome food, personal care, home-care supplies and more. A recent comment on Katie’s epic post on bone broth reads, “I use your cleaning supplies, your lotions, your deodorant, now your elderberry syrup and bone broth! There are many people and resources with advice and recipes out there but you are rock solid in all of your recipes and information. I have books on cleaning recipes but yours far surpass theirs.”

Healthy Child/Healthy World – A great resource for learning about the effects of the environment on kids, with tips & guidelines to help reduce exposure to chemicals, toxins, and pollutants, for the health of your family, your home, and the environment.

A Toy Garden – Children thrive on beauty: beautiful toys, beautiful materials—wood instead of plastic, silk & cotton instead of vinyl. At this family-run webstore you will find dolls and playthings that will touch and soothe your childs soul. All the treasures and essentials for your baby, child, and even adult gifts. U.S. and Fair Trade handmade toys from natural materials, as well as quality art supplies, craft kits, books & music, cooperative games, gnomes & fairies and the best selection & prices of play silks and woolen/silk undergarments in the world!.

Chinaberry – “Items to support families in raising their children with love, honesty and joy, to be reverent, loving caretakers of each other and of the earth.” This catalog sustained me during my children’s early years!

Quantum Thought | Consciousness

Books

Jennifer Cobb, Cybergrace: The Search for God in the Digital World (New York: Crown, 1998). Out of print but available used, and very worth finding. This is a great read, an easy read, and one of a handful of books that has changed me.

Larry Dossey, Prayer is Good Medicine (New York: HarperCollins, 1996). How our thought—and prayers—have been scientifically shown to affect the health and well-being of others, even at great distances.

Wayne Dyer, The Power of Intention (Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 2004). An easily-read primer in essential, practical principles for consciously creating the life and relationships you want.

Derrick Jensen, A Language Older Than Words (New York: Context Books, 2000). Another book with the power to change a reader, by what some calls the “philosopher-king of the deep ecology movement”; invites us to gaze at the world unfiltered by our shared myths and illusions about human progress; but it’s on this list because of its discussion of consciousness, and the connectedness of everything.

Web

What the Bleep Do We Know – The companion site to the movie that swept the nation; a great resource list for getting introduced to the possibilities for an expanded view of the world, the universe, and your life.

Mindful – A rich offering across a broad range: personal stories, news-you-can-use, advice, and insights for those who want to be mindful and those who are interested in various forms of mindfulness practice.